By John Machaqueiro – Images by the Author
Finding rare and desirable cars often comes down to being in the right place at the right time. Knowing the right folks can also occasionally help move the needle forward in that quest. Over the years, John Fardone has been blessed with a combination of those elements in his pursuit to find desirable cars that help him score even better cars. “I’m always looking for the upgrade,” he points out. For him it has been a circular process that often yields true gems like his 1968 Camaro RS.
His story with this Camaro began back in 2019 thanks to his buddy, Joe, and his contacts, however the car’s history can be traced back to November 27, 1967, when the original owner, Keith Kettler, placed an order at O’Fallon Motor Company in O’Fallon, Illinois, for a Matador Red 1968 Camaro RS, which included RPO Z/28 on the order form. On that day he committed to an additional $1,453.80 worth of options, bringing his total to $4,223.60 for what turned out to be one hell of a nicely optioned Camaro. Over the years, in his hands it ended up seeing double duty as a show car and the occasional quarter-mile racer. It was always trailer towed with his Cadillac, so it didn’t see a lot of road miles, but at some point, during the 1990s, Keith decided that it was due for a fresh coat of paint, so it was shipped to a local body shop. While there it was torn down enough to the point that another coat of Matador Red was applied, unfortunately while that was taking place Keith died and the Camaro ended up parked fully painted but disassembled. It sat for almost a decade at the shop until Keith’s granddaughter and her husband finally had the car removed. According to John, they had plans to complete the restoration and get it back on the road but those plans never came to fruition. Joe had received the info on the car through his friend Catto, a family friend who was helping finalize the sale of the car. John explains, “I paid for the car and Catto picked it up for me, and then I picked it up at his shop in Illinois.”
In February of 2019 the car made its way to the East Coast and was parked in John’s garage for reassembly. With roughly 35,000 on the odometer and the pampered trailer life it had over the years, it was in great condition. The sheetmetal was original and rust-free, and the paint was still in exceptionally good condition. It was a roller with the Good Year Polyglas GT tires still mounted on the Rally wheels that Keith showed the car with. Beyond the side glass and taillights, everything else on the exterior was off, however the original interior was still in place and never removed for painting. Keith checked off quite a few boxes when he originally placed the order for the car by choosing a Parchment/Black Deluxe interior that was complemented by a Rally Sport Gauge Package, center console, headrests, AM/FM radio, and a Comfortilt steering wheel, which were all still in excellent condition. On the mechanical side, the drivetrain was also original with the numbers-matching 302ci small-block, M21 four-speed, and 3.73:1 posi rear in place.
Underhood, the engine was in place, but all the ancillary hardware was removed. His goal was to put it all back together, however, the opposite occurred. John notes, “The way that the engine sat it actually looked like they were going to pull it out.” Once he started wrenching on it, he discovered that the block had some internal damage. Not wanting to risk any further carnage he decided to build another 302 block, which he sourced from one of his many connections. “I bought another date-coded correct 302 and I built that to put in the car, so if I break anything I’m not hurting the original engine any further,” he explains. Performing the machinework was entrusted to Jensen’s Engine Technologies in Nescopeck, Pennsylvania. They bored the block 0.030 over and fitted a GM forged crank and 11.0:1 JE forged pistons. On the top-end John went with a set of early 1970s over-the-counter double-hump angle-plug heads. It was all capped off with the highly desirable 302 Cross-Ram intake that GM offered over the counter as a “Heavy Duty Service Option.” The intake was fitted to the engine and is visible in vintage photos of the car when Keith was actively showing it. John has had it certified as an original GM assembly, and he believes that it was purchased at some point in the early 1970s. The only items that were missing were the carburetors and the alternator, which he suspects went for a walk while the car was at the body shop. Finding a set of replacement carbs came down to having the right contacts, which yielded an N.O.S. set of early 1990s 4295 reissues from Holley. These replacements were made to look identical to the original Holley carbs, with the same markings and concours-quality finishes. The last tantalizing parts that came with the Camaro purchase was a set of N.O.S. 1967 GM factory headers that John to this day isn’t sure what Keith’s plans were for them.
Everything on the car was highly original and the option was to return it to its stock configuration—John had other plans. His desire was to go down the Day Two path with some mild mods that could be undone at any point. On the list was the installation of a set of N.O.S. vintage Moroso frame connectors and a pair of vintage Lakewood Square Traction Action competition J-bolt traction bars. Rolling stock is arguably the most visible aspect to pull off on a Day Two car and that usually is accomplished with some old-school Cragar S/S mags. John’s stash of parts runs deep, and as you might guess by now, he had a few sets to choose from. Up front he fitted a pair of 1970s vintage 15×4 Cragar S/S Direct Drill mags wrapped in Mickey Thompson Sportsman 26X7.50-15 rubber. At the rear he went with a set of 1980s-flavored Cragar S/S Uni-Lug wheels fitted with M&H Racemaster P275/60B15 skins. Other elements like a Moroso rear differential cover and a set of vintage NMW tow tabs round out the visuals. Out back, the 3.73:1 gearing also gave way to a set of 5.13:1 cogs.
Most of the work took place at John’s house, and he points out, “I worked on the car off and on for about about four years, but I didn’t stay on it all that time. I just finished it in 2024.” The only departures it made were when he had the 302 swapped out and the vinyl top installed. The engine swap was performed at Jann’s Auto Service in Feasterville, Pennsylvania, while the top installation was done at Kramer’s Auto Upholstery in Langhorne, Pennsylvania.
When asked what really sets this car apart and gives it keeper status he notes, “For me, the RS part is really cool and the Z/28 option just added to that; and then there is the color combination that I really like.”
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TECH CHECK
OWNER: John Fardone, Croydon, Pennsylvania
VEHICLE: 1968 Chevy Camaro RS Z/28
Engine
TYPE: 1968 302ci small-block
DISPLACEMENT: 305 ci
COMPRESSION RATIO: 11.0:1
BORE: 4.030
STROKE: 3.00
CYLINDER HEADS: Cast-iron double-hump angle-plug heads
ROTATING ASSEMBLY: GM forged crankshaft, GM forged connecting rods, JE forged aluminum pistons
VALVETRAIN: 64cc, 2.02/1.60 valves, high-performance valvesprings, 1.94:1 ratio roller rockers
CAMSHAFT: Solid lifter
INDUCTION: GM original 302 Cross-Ram intake, (two) Holley 4295 585-cfm carburetors
ASSEMBLY: Jensen’s Engine Technologies (Nescopeck, PA)
INSTALLATION: Jann’s Auto Service (Feasterville, PA)
EXHAUST: Appliance Industries headers, 2.5-inch mild steel pipes with an X-pipe, Flowmaster mufflers
ANCILLARIES: MSD coil, GM original Cross-Ram air cleaner
Drivetrain
GEARBOX: Muncie M21 four-speed
REAR AXLE: GM stock 12-bolt posi, 5.13:1 gears
Chassis
FRONT SUSPENSION: Independent coil spring suspension (with upper and lower control arms), heavy-duty coil springs, heavy-duty shock absorbers, 1-inch antisway bar
REAR SUSPENSION: Heavy-duty multi-leaf springs, heavy-duty rear shock absorbers, Lakewood Square Traction Action competition J-bolt traction bars, Moroso frame connectors
BRAKES: GM original 11-inch rotors with single-piston floating calipers front, 10-inch heavy-duty drums rear
Wheels & Tires
WHEELS: Cragar S/S; 15×4 front, 15×8 rear
TIRES: Mickey Thompson Sportsman 26×7.50-15 front, M&H Racemaster P275/60-B15 rear
Interior
UPHOLSTERY: GM original Parchment vinyl
DOOR PANELS AND CENTER CONSOLE: GM original
SEATS: GM original bucket seats
DASH: GM original
STEERING: GM original Comfortilt steering wheel
INSTRUMENTATION: GM original Rally Sport Gauge Package
SOUND SYSTEM: GM original AM/FM radio
Exterior
PAINT: Single-stage Matador Red
VINYL TOP: Pebble Grain reproduction vinyl
INSTALLATION: Kramer’s Auto Upholstery (Langhorne, PA)
GRILLE: GM original
BUMPERS: GM original
TAILLIGHTS: GM original
